The Lovers That Never Met
by Whispered Desire
Summary: Rumours circulate about a pirate’s presence down at the docks; Elizabeth wonders what it would be like if she’d seen him. Little did she know, had she not slackened her corset, she’d have come to love the pirate who now would never know her. Slightly JE.


I'd like to warn everyone now that this is a very strange little story I came up with. It was partially inspired by ediepedie's "Eskimo" video on YouTube, especially the ending. I recommend watching it :)

Anyway, this is basically showing contrast between how things did turn out in the films (with slight embellishment regarding Jack's fate) and how things might have been if the smallest of events had never happened. **Dates** are important :)

I also realise that this isn't strictly Sparrabeth, but it is if you really want it to be, like me :P

Enjoy, and reviews are appreciated :)

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**The Lovers That Never Met**

_25th__ May, 1782._

"It would never have worked out between us," Elizabeth says, recalling Jack's own words from two years previously, when he left her and Will Turner to their fairytale on a fort in Port Royal.

Jack smiles, a sad smile that does not suit him. He wonders if she is right; if their explosive personalities would have made it impossible for any form of love, however deranged, to emerge. He prepares his answer, knowing deep down that she is wrong.

"Keep tellin' yerself that, darlin'," he responds. His gold teeth flash briefly in the sunlight, and she smiles back at him.

She knows it could work, and she knows that he knows it too. But the words in his eyes speak more to her: 'It could work, but I don't want to try if there's a chance we might mess it up'.

Suddenly, she moves forward. He knows what she plans to do, but he won't let her. That would only make this, their final goodbye, a lot harder. If she kissed him and they felt something, she would not be able to face the ten years of endless waiting that lay ahead, and he would never rest until she was his forever. Will Turner did not deserve that kind of pain.

And so, he puts his hands out to stop her. He regrets it, but their lives will be easier because of that one small gesture. She pulls back slowly, reluctantly, and a faint blush rises to her cheeks as she looks down to the floor.

"Once was quite enough," he whispers, loud enough so that only she could hear. A lie, and both know it well, but he smiles nonetheless as her eyes drift back up to his, genuine sadness lingering on her face.

"Thank you," she says softly. At last, mutual understanding has come between the two. His smile becomes a little wider, and she knows he has forgiven her. Perhaps he has even grown to love her, but it will take years for him to admit it, and she may never come to know.

One last smile flits across her face before she leaves the ship, the beloved _Black Pearl_, and rows to the sandy beach where she will consummate her marriage.

Jack tells himself he is happy for her, even though he is dying inside. Every fibre of his being is telling him to follow her and claim her as his own. But she awakened the good man in him, and instead, he makes sure she arrives at the beach safely before setting sail.

He knows he will never see her again, and he dies less than ten years later with the knowledge that he was right.

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_12__th__ March, 1780._

Elizabeth Swann gasps as her maids pull her corset tighter. As they leave to gather her dress, she sneakily slackens it a bit so that she can breathe. Her maids don't notice, and they dress her silently. She is not wearing a necklace.

It is the day that James Norrington is officially promoted to Commodore. There is to be a large ceremony where he is presented with a new sword, crafted by her good friend Will Turner. She knows he is in love with her, but she doesn't return his feelings. Perhaps if something extraordinary happened, she might come to love him as he did her. However, she is content to be his friend at the moment.

After the ceremony, Elizabeth has grown increasingly uncomfortable, despite slackening her corset earlier that morning. Thankfully, she is still able to breathe easily. Commodore Norrington has taken her up to the fort, where he proposes. He tells her she is a fine woman, and she has no choice but to say yes and agree to wed him.

Unbeknownst to the pair, a pirate named Jack Sparrow is at the bottom of the cliff, talking to two guards on a ship. He excuses himself, and escapes the docks before his presence is known. As Elizabeth and James walk back through the town, he hides in an alleyway, which they walk past.

Jack Sparrow briefly notes that the woman is very beautiful, and he wonders what she would say if she knew she was in extreme proximity to a branded pirate. As their footsteps round another corner, he runs, and he manages to escape Port Royal unscathed.

Rumours circulate that night about a pirate's presence down at the docks earlier during the day. Elizabeth smiles, wondering what it would be like if she'd seen him. Little did she know, had she not slackened her corset that morning…had she chosen to wear the necklace hidden in a drawer in her bedroom…her life would have changed forever, and she'd have come to love the elusive pirate who instead would never know her.

But because of those two small actions, she remains forever a Governor's daughter, and she marries Commodore Norrington shortly after. A few months after their wedding day, Jack Sparrow goes down with his ship, the _Black Pearl_, in order to settle a blood debt he owed. Elizabeth doesn't even hear about the event.

On the 25th May, 1782, Elizabeth's first child is born, fathered by James Norrington.

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I realise that this was a very strange little oneshot, but I wanted to explore what might have happened if two small events had never occured, and how Jack and Elizabeth's lives would have been dramatically different.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it despite it's strangeness :)  
Reviews always appreciated!

**WD,  
xo.**


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